ChatGPT vs Google: We Asked Both to Recommend a Plumber

Here is a fun experiment. You have a leaky faucet, water is pooling under the sink, and you need a plumber. Fast. Do you open Google, or do you ask ChatGPT?

A year ago, that question would have been ridiculous. Of course you Google it. But in 2024, millions of people are turning to AI chatbots for recommendations that used to be Google’s territory. So we decided to test it.

We typed the exact same prompt into both: “I need a plumber in Raleigh, NC.”

Here is what happened.

Round 1: Google Search Results

Google did what Google does. We got:

• A local pack showing three plumbing companies with star ratings, phone numbers, hours, and a map
• Sponsored ads from two plumbing companies at the very top
• Organic results featuring Yelp’s “Top 10 Plumbers in Raleigh” list, a few company websites, and an Angi page

The local pack was immediately useful. We could see ratings (4.7, 4.5, 4.8 stars), read a few review snippets, and tap to call directly. Within about 15 seconds, we had three legitimate options with real reviews from real customers.

Verdict: Fast, practical, and backed by real customer data. Exactly what you want when your kitchen is flooding.

Round 2: ChatGPT’s Response

ChatGPT gave us a polished, conversational answer. It listed five plumbing companies by name, included brief descriptions of each (specialties, years in business, general reputation), and even offered tips on what to ask when calling a plumber.

Sounds great, right? Here is the catch.

When we checked the specific business names and details, some were accurate and some were… not quite right. One company had apparently closed two years ago. Another had its specialty listed incorrectly. ChatGPT presented everything with the same level of confidence, whether the information was current or outdated.

There were no star ratings, no links to reviews, no phone numbers, and no way to verify anything without doing additional research.

Verdict: Helpful framing and good general advice, but the specific recommendations needed fact-checking.

Round 3: The Side-by-Side Comparison

The pattern is clear. Google is better for action (finding and contacting a specific business right now). ChatGPT is better for context (understanding what to look for in a plumber and how to evaluate your options).

So What Does This Mean for Your Business?

This is the part where it gets real for small business owners.

If your business only shows up on Google but is invisible to AI chatbots, you are missing a growing slice of potential customers. And if you are only thinking about traditional SEO and ignoring generative engine optimization (GEO), you are leaving the door open for competitors who are not.

Here is the thing: the way people search is splitting into two tracks.

Track 1: Google Search. Still dominant, still where the majority of high-intent local searches happen. Your Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews, and website SEO all matter enormously here. If you are a home services business, we break this down in detail in our guide to local SEO for plumbers, HVAC, and electricians.

Track 2: AI-Powered Search. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews, and other tools are pulling information from websites, reviews, directories, and structured data to generate answers. The businesses that show up in these AI-generated answers tend to have strong, well-structured online presences with consistent information across multiple sources. We wrote a full breakdown on how Perplexity AI is changing the way people find local businesses.

How to Show Up in Both

You do not have to choose between Google and AI. In fact, the fundamentals overlap more than you might think.

1. Keep your information consistent everywhere. Same name, address, phone number, and hours across your website, Google Business Profile, Yelp, and every directory listing. AI models pull from all of these sources, and inconsistencies confuse both Google and chatbots.

2. Get real reviews and respond to them. Reviews are one of the strongest signals for both Google’s local pack and AI-generated recommendations. A business with 200 genuine reviews and thoughtful owner responses is far more likely to be recommended by both systems.

3. Structure your website content clearly. Use headers, FAQ sections, and schema markup so both Google’s crawlers and AI models can easily understand what your business does, where you are located, and why someone should choose you.

4. Create content that answers real questions. AI models love pulling from content that directly answers the kinds of questions people ask. “How much does it cost to fix a leaky faucet?” is exactly the kind of content that gets cited in AI answers.

5. Claim and optimize your presence on multiple platforms. The more high-quality sources that mention your business consistently, the more likely you are to appear in AI-generated answers.

The Bottom Line

Google is not going anywhere. It is still the fastest path from “I have a problem” to “I am calling someone to fix it.” But AI search is growing fast, and the businesses that invest in both traditional SEO and GEO now will have a serious advantage over those who wait.

The leaky faucet is not going to fix itself, and neither is your online presence.

If you want help showing up in both Google and AI-powered search, let’s talk. We will figure out exactly where your business stands and what it will take to get you found, no matter how your customers are searching.